Hearse attachment.



L. M. AMMEN, HEARSE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE T6, l9l6. 1,1 98,986. Patented Sept. 19,1916.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1916. Serial No. 103,977.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LANGDON M. AMMEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greensboro, in the county of Guilfor d and State of North Carolina, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hearse Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to hearse attachments, and more particularly to the casket stops thereof, my object being to provide means whereby to automatically set the casket stops when the hearse doors are closed, in order to obviate all danger of shifting of the casket and displacement thereof during travel over rough or hilly country.

A further object of my invention is to automatically set a stop pin at the rear end of the casket by the closing of the rear doors of the hearse so as to obviate all danger of bursting open of the rear doors by the shifting of the casket, through forgetfulness to place the usual stop pin in position at the rear of the casket.

Further objects, and the advantages of my improvements will be apparent from the following description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower rear portion of a hearse to which my improvements have been applied. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the parts as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of a portion of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of thepin setting arm. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of certain parts to be hereinafter described.

Referring now to these'figures, I have generally shown in Figs. 1 and 2 certain portions of a hearse 10, the bottom 11 of which, forming the casket supportmg hearse, is adapted to receive a casket 12 upon horizontally journaled rollers 13 and between vertically journaled side guide rollers 14.

In accordance with my invention, the bottom 11 of the hearse is provided with a vertical opening 15 centrally thereof and adjacent its rear end, to receive a vertically adjustable stop pin 16 which in its lowered position as shown in Fig. 3, permits the casket 12 to be moved forwardly upon the hearse bottom, and which'in its upper posit1on as shown in Fig. 2,'projects above the surface of the hearse bottom and adjacent the rear end of the casket 12 to prevent the latter. from thereafter moving rearwardly toward the end closing doors 17. Below its bottom. 11 forming the casket supporting surface, the hearse 10 is provided with a base l8, spaced from its bottom 11 and which space is closed at the rear by a vertically. disposed cross strip 19 having an opening 20 centrally of its upper portion and a slot 21 below and at one side of the "opening 20 the rear end of a forwardly and guide 25 and forming'a guide for a"control ling spring 27, the latter of which bears at one end against the guide 25 and at its opposite end against the rear end of the slot 241 so as to normally maintain the arm 22 in its rearmost position" as shown in Fig. 3, wherein. its rear end extends rearwardly into the opening 20 and thus into the path of inward movement of a lug 4:3 carried by one of the end doors 17, and movable into opening 20 when the .door is closed as shown in Fig. 5. Thus when the doors 17 are closed, the lug/l3 engages the rear end of the arm 22 as seen in Fig. 3, and thrusts the arm forwardlyto the position shown in Fig. 2, the inclined head 23 forcing the pin 16 vertically to its operative position. The head 23 of the arm 22 has a lower shoulder 28 and a gravity latch bar 29 is intermediately pivoted at 30 upon a bracket 31, with its forward end in' position to engage the shoulder 28 in the rearmost position of the arm 22, and as seen in Fig. 2, the rear end of the latch bar 29 being movable vertically by means of a short shaft 29* having a leaf 29 beneath the rear end of the latch bar, and having a handle 29 working in the slot 21 before mentioned, so that when the doors 17 are again opened to remove the casket 12, the rear end of the latch bar 29 may be raised by lifting the handle 29 to free its forward end from the arm 22 and permit the spring 27 to force the arm rear- Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

wardly and enable the pin 16 to lower to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 3.

I also preferably provide the forward portion of the hearse bottom 11 with an opening 32 in which the intermediate vertical portion 33 of a lever 33 is journaled, the upper horizontal arm of which projects above the bottom 11 and is provided with a universally adjustable casket-engaging roller frame 34. This lever 33 is thus fulcrumcd by its portion 33 and has a lower horizontal arm pivoted at its extremity by a pin and slot connection 35 to one end of an intermediately pivoted lever 36, the opposite end of which is pivoted to the forward end of a rearwardly projecting rod 37 at the rear end of which is a handle 38 adjacent a side opening 39 of the cross strip 19 through which the handle may be reached. Thus, when the casket 12 is ini-.

tially thrust inwardly and forwardly upon the hearse bottom 11 with the pins 16 lowered as shown in Fig. 3, and until the rear end of the casket 12 passes the opening 15 of the bottom in which the pin 16 works, the doors 17 may then be closed, automatically elevating the pin 16 through the connection before described, and the handle 38 of 1'od'37 then grasped and pulled rearwardly, whereby the upper arm of the lever 33 will be moved rearwardly, its roller frame 34 engaging the forward end of the casket to move the casket longitudinally and rearwardly against the stop pin 16 in the elevated position.

It is to be seen that in this way I obviate all danger of accident due to neglect to place the usual stop pin, rendering the placing thereof in its operative position automatic by the closing of the rear end doors.

I claim p 1. The combination with a hearse having its bottom provided with openings centrally located adjacent the forward and rear ends thereof, of a vertically adjustable stop pin located in the rear opening, a lever the upper portion of which is movable forwardly and rearwardly in the forward opening, means for raising and lowering the said stop pin, and means for moving the said lever to en gage a casket disposed in the hearse and shift the latter rearwardly against the stop pm.

2. The combination with a hearse having a casket supporting bottom, and an opening in its rear portion, of a stop pin disposed in the opening at the rear of the casket,a lever mounted in the forward portion of the hearse, the upper portion of which projects above the hearse bottom to engage the forward end of the casket, and connections eX- tending to the rear of the hearse for shifting the said lever against the casket to move the latter rearwardly againstthe said stop pm.

3. The combination with a hearse having a casket supporting bottom and an opening in its rear portion, of a stop pin disposed in the opening at the rear of the casket, a lever mounted in the forward portion of the hearse, the upper portion. of which projects above the hearse bottom to engage the forward end of the casket, and connections ex tending through the rear of the hearse for shifting the said lever against the casket to move the latter rearw'ardly against the said stop pin, said connections including a rod extending rearwardly beneath the hearse bottom.

el. The combination with a hearse having a casket supporting bottom and an opening in its rear portion, of a stop, pin disposed in the opening at the rear of the casket, a lever mounted in the forward portion ofthe hearse, the upper portion of which projects above the hearse bottom to engage the forward end of the casket, and connections BX- tending through the rear of the hearse for shifting the said lever against the casket to move the latter rearwardly against the said stop pin, said means including a rod connected at its forward end to the lever and extending rearwardly beneath the hearse bottom and having a handle at its rear end adjacent the rear end of the hearse.

5. The combination with a hearse having an opening in the rear portion of the bottom thereof, of a stop pin adjustable vertically in said opening, and means for raising and lowering the said stop pin, including; a spring controlled arm having a forward inclined head-upon which the lower end of the stop pin rests. V

6. The combination with a hearse having an opening in the rear portion of the bottom thereof, of a stop pin adjustable vertically in said opening, means for raising and lowering the said stop pin, including, a spring controlled arm. having a forward inclined head upon which the lower end of the stop pin rests, and means for locking said arm in its forward position to hold the stop pin elevated above the hearse bottom.

7 The combination. with a hearse having rear closing doors and an opening in its bottom adjacent its rear end, of a stop pin movable vertically in the said opening, and means for automatically elevating the stop pin above the hearse bottom including an element projecting rearwardly at the rear end of the hearse and into the path of closing movement of a portion of the said rear doors thereof.

8. The combination with a hearse having rear closing doors provided with an actuating element, and an. opening inits bottom adjacent its rear end, of a stop pin movable vertically in the said opening, and means for automatically elevating the stop pin above the hearse bottom, including an element projecting rearwardly at the rear end of the hearse and into the path of closing movement of the said actuating element of the rear doors thereof, said element being in the form of a spring controlled arm having guided movement in the rear lower portion of the hearse, and having a forward inclined head upon which the stop pin rests.

9. The combination with a hearse having rear closing doors and an opening in its bottom adjacent its rear end, of a stop pin movable vertically in the said opening, a lug carried by one of the doors, and means for automatically elevating the stop pin above the hearse bottom including an element projecting rearwardly at the rear end of the hearse and into the path of closing movement of the said lug of one of the rear doors thereof, said element being in the form of a spring controlled arm having guided movement in the rear lower portion of the hearse, and having a forward inclined head upon which the stop pin rests, said arm also having a lower shoulder, and a gravity latch bar pivoted in the lower rear portion of the hearse for engagement with the shoulder of the arm when the latter is thrust forwardly, to lock the arm in its forward position and maintain the stop pin in elevated position.

LANGDON MARCUS AMMEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

